Curve Appeal | Oscar Niemeyer in 3-D

Oscar Niemeyer, the celebrated Brazilian architect, died on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro. He was 104. In tribute, a post from our archives.

All bombshell curves and sinuous lines, Oscar Niemeyer’s reinforced concrete buildings offer a distinctly Carioca take on Modernism — they’re the architectural equivalent of Gisele Bundchen. But despite the preponderance of high-flown and generally sexy imagery his work has inspired, Niemeyer has always had a democratic view of architecture, believing that as many people as possible should see his work and the way it relates to the undulating landscape of Brazil. As of today, that’s much easier to do: Paddle 8, in conjunction with Visionaire’s forthcoming Rio issue, is publishing 10 3-D images of Niemeyer buildings by Vicente Depaulo, including shots of the iconic Cathedral and Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, a city he was instrumental in designing. To get the full effect you can order 3-D glasses from Paddle 8 and view the images online or buy the Rio issue, which includes a stereoscope viewer. “Architecture is invention,” says Niemeyer, 104, who still goes into the studio every week and is a national treasure in his native Brazil. “I speculate with reinforced concrete. With it, I can invent anything.”